Cannoli
Cannoli is a pastry of Sicilian origin, commonly available throughout Las Vegas. Il Fornaio bakery - In New York-New York casino; $4; half of cannoli is dipped in chocolate, resulting in a cannoli that lacks subtlety, though chocolate lovers will look past this. Cannoli is made in advance and refrigerated, which softens the shell, when the shell should be crispy. Display cannoli is presented with berries, but actual cannoli is served without berries. Overall an average cannoli experience, though priced moderately for a Strip cannoli. Tintoretto Bakery - In the Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian; $2.15 or $4.30; they conveniently offer cannoli in two sizes. Served lathered in chocolate and with a cherry on each end, sacrificing subtlety for high impact sweetness. The rich chocolate moves this cannoli away from pure cannoliness and towards generic American desert, though remaining tasty enough to satisfy all but the most rigid cannoli purists. Better than not eating a cannoli. Cafe Caesars - In the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace; $3; It's hard to beat the Forum Shops for ambiance, which helps make up for a subpar cannoli. The cannoli seemed to be filled with cream cheese rather than ricotta, and also lacked crispiness, probably due to refrigeration. It came with chocolate shavings on one end, and what was apparently pistachio on the other, which was refreshingly understated when compared to other strip cannolis, but this advantage was not enough to make up for its other shortcomings. One suspects this is the same cannoli served at the other Caesars properties (Bally's, Paris, Flamingo), but further research will determine this. Aromi D'Italia Cafe - In Desert Passage, the Aladdin; $3; A solid effort for $3. Their cannoli is apparently made with cinnamon, which gives the pastry a much different flavor (and color) than usual. This turns out to be quite tasty, and is a welcome change from the much more common chocolate-bomb cannolis served elsewhere. Palio Pronto - In the Bellagio, at the exit on Flamingo; $5.50; After paying this much for a smallish cannoli, I was prepared to pounce on the Bellagio, but it turns out, this was quite good. Worth $5.50? Maybe not. But if price is no object and you're after quality, this is the place to go for cannoli on the strip. The pastry was light and delicate, dusted with powdered sugar and chocolate, subtle and refined. Two small, perhaps, and the shell could have been crispier, but overall a great cannoli experience. (Presumably this is the same cannoli available at the Palio Bakery elsewhere in the Bellagio) Hawaiian Marketplace (Cafe Capri?) - An average priced cannoli served with a slice of orange peel to give it a tropical edge. The soft shell and very sugary filling combined to make this cannoli taste a bit like chocolate chip cookie dough. If a cannoli is going to drift off and taste like something else, chocolate chip cookie dough isn't a bad taste to end up at. Still, as a pure cannoli experience it was a disappointment. Paprezas - Uninspired, refrigerated cannoli, though cheap.